US Edition'Jaw-droppingly weird' dinosaur from Morocco was studded with spikes
Spicomellus afer, dating to 165 million years ago, had unique spiked ribs and a tail weapon, challenging previous timelines of ankylosaur evolution, researchers reported.
- Scientists have discovered a bizarre armoured dinosaur called Spicomellus afer, which lived 165 million years ago and had metre-long spikes sticking out from its neck.
- The elaborateness and spikiness of the animal found in Morocco has surprised experts, forcing them to rethink how these armoured dinosaurs evolved.
- The dinosaur fossils were discovered by a team of scientists in Morocco and published in the journal Nature, with researchers speculating that the spikes may have been used for display rather than armour.
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67 Articles
Rare Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Morocco Reveals Earliest Armored Ankylosaur
Cast of Ankylosaurus skull. Credit: Tim Evanson / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 A rare fossil of an armored ankylosaur dinosaur, uncovered in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is offering new insight into the early evolution of this distinctive group of plant-eating dinosaurs. The discovery includes some of the most elaborate natural defenses ever found in a Jurassic species. The partial skeleton was unearthed near Boulemane and dates back arou…
It was probably armed with an awe-inspiring club of spikes for a tail. But it's the large spikes along its entire body that make Spicomellus unique. "It's so weird, so bizarre," says Professor Susannah Maidment.
New fossils of the Spicomellus were discovered in Morocco in 2023, allowing scientists to get a more accurate idea of this strange dinosaur. The animal was especially endowed with sophisticated armor with tips. The oldest known ankylosaure, battled and herbivorous, lived about 165 million years ago. - Discover the Spicomellus, "one of the strangest dinosaurs ever discovered" (Sciences).
A dinosaur considered to be one of the "strangest" ever discovered was endowed with a sophisticated armor with tips one meter long.
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